Tips for Revision A Level Economics

Economics Revision - Top Tips

Besides the obvious things like learning the content and doing lots of past questions here are a few tips on how to revise:

Learn the definitions of key words for the units

Learn the diagrams - Practice drawing them (without a ruler) so that you are quick at doing it in the exam.

Get up to date with macro economic data. It is worth buying this booklet from tutor 2u for £5.80 including postage:

 

Practice evaluation for those longer answers: See the "How to evaluate" sheet with examples from micro and macro. Look at my examples on the completed grid.

Do some plans for responses to longer questions. Look at the question and give yourself five minutes to write a bullet point plan answer.

Make up mnemonics to remember lists of factors or objectives, eg GUBI for the economic objectives.

Get a good night's rest before the exam.

If you have done all the preparation you can then be positive and confident in approaching the questions.

 

Tackling Longer Questions

Opening Paragraph - Start with some definitions of terms and introduce the main arguments or issues to be discussed. Include some relevant data from the extracts if you can.

Then use an AXE approach.

A – Argument

Make an argument that is relevant and addresses the question.

X – Explain

Explain the argument using relevant diagrams when you can.

E – Evaluate

Evaluate the argument that you have made. Say why it might not hold. What problems are there with it? What factors might prevent it from working in this way?

• Make three or four arguments using the AXE approach.
• Use the data in the extracts to support or to evaluate your argument. When you do this put the piece from the extract in quotation marks so that the examiner can see that you have used the data and then explain its’ relevance. This gets you marks for application.
• Wherever you can, make use of diagrams and link them in to the explanation in your answer. Use as many relevant diagrams as you can in your answer as long as you know them and can draw them accurately. If you are unsure about a diagram explain the idea in words instead.

Finally, write a concluding paragraph in which you directly address the question and make an overall judgement. Be sure to link this to the rest of the answer so that it flows naturally and can be seen to be reasoned from the rest of the discussion/arguments. This last paragraph is important because it is the last thing the examiner reads before putting a mark on your work.

 

Dr Mark

Filed Under: Economics Revision